Searching for a new job can be a tedious, stressful or exciting experience depending on your motivation and how much you really need it. I've been through all of these 3 instances and during the past 10 years and past 10 jobs and I've learned a little bit about the biggest pitfalls one should avoid while looking for a new job.
If you're currently seeking a new job or the thought of changing your current place of work or domain sounds tempting, here's what you should steer clear of.
Job Offers that Sound too Good to Be True
... because most of the time's they aren't. This summer, against everyone's advice, I accepted a one-month job offer as a project manager in the translation field for a salary that was almost double compared to what this position typically entails in my country. Guess what? After 5 days of work which were totally award as the sole contact person who assigned me the tasks was totally strange and incompetent to say the least, I was asked to allow this company to use my personal bank account for money transfers. If you-re getting a sense of scam and money laundering, you are right. That company never needed a project manager cause they never delivered any translations. They were just using this bait to convince collaborators to perform transactions on their behalf, which I never did, which resulted in the immediate termination of my collaboration with that company with zero payment for the so called project management tasks they I really performed.
Bottom line is you shouldn't trust a job offer that seems almost impossible to be true. If I hadn't done that I wouldn't-t have waisted 5 days of my precious time working for God knows who and placing at risk my personal and financial data.
If you are not sure whether a job offer is a scam or note, try to get as much information as you can about your future employer:
- see what other employees say about them online
- search for people who work for them on social platforms and LinkedIn
- go on forums to see how this company is rated for its services
Anything you might find on the internet is a good clue and can help you decide whether accepting the offer is a step forward or a risk that's not worth taking.
People Who Try to Convince You You Worth Less
If you've just graduated and you desperately need to earn some experience, just about any job will do, especially if it is related to your field of study. However, the older you get, the less you should compromise. Set some firm standards on what you're willing to accept in terms of payment and responsibilities and don't settle below it. Employees might try to convince you that they can't pay as much as you asked or that you have to work more in the beginning in order to get the job position you currently aim for. These strategies mean that they are not willing to appreciate you according to your real value. In exchange, you should do the same and give them a 'thanks, but no thanks' answer. If they cannot meet your requirements, there are plenty fish in the sea for both you and them.
People Who Simply Give You a Bad Vibe
Have you ever turned down a job offer that you would have liked just because you got real bad mojo from your future employee or manager? I have and I still think I did the right thing back then. Think of it this way: if you barely stand talking for 30 minutes during a job interview with that person, how are you going to be able to work with them for 8hours a day? No matter how appealing the job offer is, you should think twice before saying yes if the person who will be in charge of you seems despicable.
There are of course many other aspects you should take into account when looking for a new job. The ultimate truth is that you cannot know for sure how it's gonna be until you actually get there. Nonetheless, listening to your intuition and being able to discern a tempting offer from a solid one are some factors that can help you land the job you deserve.
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